A Wicklow man will be sentenced later this month for the rape of three children committed when he was a teenager over 20 years ago.
The Central Criminal Court heard from two of the victims of the devasting and long lasting effects the offending has had on them throughout their lives.
The first victim read his own victim impact statement and addressed the accused man directly. He told the man what he had done had destroyed his life.
He said the abuse had broken his spirit, scarred his soul and hurt his physical body. He said the memories of it still haunt him.
The man had told gardaí how the abuse began when the then teenage accused asked him if he wanted to play a “secret game” and brought him to his bedroom where he sexually assaulted him.
He described how the accused man had lied to get what he wanted, preying on a child’s innocence and knowing no child wants to be left out. He said he had hated himself for falling for his lies.
“I don’t hate you for what you did but you have to be ashamed,” he said, “It is good for you to see the consequences.”
He told the man he had manipulated young boys: “You used young children so you could get sexual pleasure.”
He told the court he had come forward as he heard the accused man was around young children and he was concerned for them.
The man’s current partner told the court that she believed the accused man when he told her that the charges were not true. She described his caring role within their household before he went into custody.
She asked the judge to “please go easy on him” and asked the court, with Christmas coming up, to give them the “best present” and set him free. “He did not do anything wrong,” she told the court.
The 38-year-old man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his victims, was convicted following a trial earlier this year of sexual assault, oral rape and anal rape of the first boy on dates between 1999 and 2002.
The child was aged between 8 and 10 years old, while the accused was aged between 13 and 15 years old.
Previous convictions
He was also convicted by the jury of anal and oral rape of a second child between 2000 and 2002, while the boy was aged between seven and nine years old and the accused man was between 14 and 16 years old..
He was further convicted of anal rape of a third child on dates between 2000 and 2002, while the victim was aged between nine and ten years old and the accused was aged between 13 and 16 years old.
The accused man has previous convictions for road traffic offences and criminal damage.
Mr Justice Kerida Naidoo adjourned finalisation of sentencing until December 19th next.
He asked defence counsel to ensure the accused and his family were fully advised of the sentencing parameters he had to take into account.
A local garda told Fionnuala O’Sullivan SC, prosecuting, that the majority of the sexual abuse of each of the boy’s took place in the accused man’s bedroom after he had invited them there to play “secret” games.
One of the victims reported the rapes happening between 20 and 60 times over two summers and said other children were sometimes present.
The garda said the man was interviewed after the men came forward as adults and he denied the allegations.
The garda agreed with Paddy McCarthy SC, defending, that TUSLA had issued a “satisfactory” report following an investigation in relation to the accused man and his current partner and family.
The first victim read his own victim impact in court and addressed the accused man directly telling him: “There are two people in this room who know what you did…..It’s me and you.”
He described the damaging effects of the abuse on his life such as losing the ability to trust others, feeling dirty, self hatred and trying to escape reality through substance abuse.
He outlined how he had felt suicidal, suffered nightmares and had issues in his relationships.
He told the court how he had changed as a result of the abuse, effecting his relationship with his family, making him isolated and feeling like he had lost hope.
He said the accused man had made up stories about him when he was telling the truth and tried to make him out to be a liar. He said being under cross examination during the trial was one of the worst times of his life.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can call the national 24-hour Rape Crisis Helpline at 1800-77 8888, access text service and webchat options at drcc.ie/services/helpline/ or visit Rape Crisis Help.
